I'm Going To Make 2016 The Best Year Ever

Well it's that time of year when we take time to reflect on what has gone and look forward to the New Year. Resolutions are everywhere. Lose weight. Do more exercise. Eat healthier.

But I know that by the middle of January they will be a thing of the past, mostly because they are too vague, too unrealistic or I just lose the motivation. 

I don't want to make resolutions that will get broken, I had a great 2015 and just want it to get better. OK sometimes things happen that makes us have our own Annus Horribilis, I can't stop these things happening. How I react to them is up to me. I am responsible for my own happiness. I want to look back and say "2016 was the best year ever!" 

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers

This is my first nomination! Thankyou! I was really happy to be nominated by fivelittledoves to join the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers link up. I stumbled upon her blog one day and read one of her letters to her children, then read them all! Laura writes from the heart so that means lots of laughter (The Out-takes) and lots of tears (Letters to Joseph). So get a tissue and a cup of tea and check out her blog.

Our First Blogging Christmas

Bear was born in October last year so he's had his first Christmas. He wasn't very impressed. He thought Father Christmas and all that present giving was a bore. He slept through most of it, well the days he did. The nights he quite liked to be awake and playing 20 questions. You've played them. Has he had a poo? Is he in pain? Is he too young to be teething? Is he hungry and so on into the night.

Bear in his Elf suit. Bit too big but so cute.

Merry Christmas 2015

It's been a fantastic year. I finally retired after taking early retirement last year and yes, I do miss the work and the people but instead I have my grandson Bear three days a week. It has been fantastic. OK it is exhausting. I have so much respect for all the parents out there doing it 7 days a week 24 hours a day on little or no sleep. Well Done!

I also started blogging in August after many, many months of dithering. I've met some really nice people through blogging. I love it.

Bear started laughing, crawling, walking, talking, running! Can't wait for next year.

Overall we've all had our ups and downs but it's mostly been up.

Bear and I would like to thank you for taking time out to read our ramblings

We wish you good health and joy in the coming year.

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The Joys of Being a Grandmother

I sit here with the sun shining and the most precious thing in my life asleep upstairs. My grandson, Bear. I have two children so why are they not the most precious things in my life? Well they were until last year. They are still very precious but they are grown up. They have flown the nest. They are adults in their own worlds. My son is now a father, my daughter an aunty. Our relationships have changed. 

Every grandmother says it's the best thing that ever happened but I didn't believe it. How could anything be better than having your own child?

"For you maybe" I thought "but not for me. Nothing could be better than your own child". How wrong I was!

From the moment he was born, from the second I held him at only a few hours old I knew I was hooked. I was smitten. I was a grandmother.

A Cardiff Garden In December

I started the series of "A Cardiff Garden In...." as a record of my garden through the seasons. Bright and summery. Colourful autumn days. Cold, frosty winter days.

This year it has rained. It rained all spring, summer, autumn and now winter. In fact it has been raining here almost every day for the last 4 weeks. So instead of beautiful pictures of frost I have mud and puddles.

Cardiff is often wetter and warmer than the east of the UK and being in a city it's also about a degree warmer but it is still very mild for us. Today, a rare day with some sunshine, it was 14C in the garden, and felt a lot warmer in the sun, very warm for December. It has been so mild the plants are confused and think it's spring so they are putting out new shoots and flowering. This means when (if?) the cold weather and frosts hit us in January and February they will get frosted and die.

But if we look closer we will see the true beginnings of spring, the daffodils are breaking through and the cyclamen is about to flower.

Parts are very summery still- the Aubretia is still in full bloom